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Slovak Railways March 25 signed a $65 million contract with Alcatel to modernize the railways' telecom infrastructure network.
The deal would enable 2,272-mile Slovak Railways — part of the former Czechoslovak State Railways — to become a licensed operator in Slovakia next year for public-voice services, enabling the railway to provide the country enhanced telecommunication services.
Under contract terms, Alcatel will provide all professional services to upgrade and extend Slovak Railways' nationwide optical network, and multi-service-transmission systems and access networks.
Alcatel also will manage integration of supplementary switching and billing equipment, and integrate third-party products and data equipment to enhance the railway's telecom infrastructure and local area networks.
The project will proceed in three phases, starting with the interconnection of main cities Bratislava and Kosice, and ending in 2004 with a fully upgraded nationwide network.
"This project is key for Slovak Railways to gain market share in the public telecommunications market and information services," said Andrej Egyed, Slovak Railways general director, in a prepared statement.